The Eastern Wind: Elemental Refuge
by Saintified4
Summary: Another Civil War has broken out and Equestria sees a new ruler. Now three rebels must use their special gifts to stand up to the evil King and take back their homeland
1. Chapter 1: The Royal Arch

**Alright. Yeah, I know it doesn't really work like this, but here's something else to wait for while I'm in exams. This is a MY LITTLE PONY fanfic I wanted to do for awhile. So here you go: The Eastern Wind: Elemental Refuge.**

Chapter 1: The Royal Arch

It was a cold day in Canterlot. Snow falling was an obivious sign that Winter was here. In one of the alleys in the streets was a pony standing against one of the walls. She was a unicorn with a white coat, red mane with yellow highlights. Her Cutie Mark was a prism with a flaming arch pointing Northeast. She called herself Rubyshine. She had quite a past here, even though she grew up in Fillydelphia. She suddenly put up her hood as two guards walked past. Canterlot has fallen under the control of King Ironmane, a very powerful unicorn who won the recent war and the same one who took her parents. Going into hiding, she had to work under the name Arch Flame. Something was strange about her though. She had the unusual ability to control and manipulate the very essence of fire down to the atoms. This was discovered through a very long period of meditation after she witnessed the lost of her parents. "Hey, you!" She heard. She turned around and saw two guards walking slowly towards her. "Hay…" she whispered and started to run the opposite direction. "Stop!" she heard as the guards started running after her. The chase ensued through outside Canterlot as the clouds started to drum together…

**Somewhere over the skies of Manehattan…**

"I don't see her anywhere" Winterhope said, obvious disappointment in her voice. Winterhope was a cerulean pegasus mare with a white mane and long tale with navy highlights. Her cutie mark was a wave of snow with a few snowflakes. "She should be here." Stardream said. "The map pointed us here. We should try Canterlot next" Stardream was a pegasus stallion with a violet coat purple and yellow mane and tail. His cutie mark was a thundercloud with a yellow star inside. They both landed on the ground and approached two ponies sitting on a bench. One was an Earth pony stallion with a green coat and a black mane and tail with a sword and a four-leaf clover cutie mark, and the other was a unicorn stallion with a purple coat, orange mane and tail with gray highlights, and a book with a strange symbol for a cutie mark. Stardream approached the two ponies and pulled out a paper. "have you seen anypony looking like this?" The 'pony' was an image of Rubyshine with her alternate name "Arch Flame" printed above the image. The two ponies just shook their heads and left. Stardream and Winterhope let out an irritated sigh. "I give up!" Stardream said in frustration. "Come on Stardream, you know without her, we can't stand up to Ironmane." Winterhope replied. "I know." Stardream said, "But it's like she's never been here. She grew up here, for Celestia's sake!" Suddenly Stardream realised that everypony was staring at him and Winterhope. "We should get outta here." Winterhope whispered. Stardream nodded, and they took off Southwest to Canterlot's direction.

**Back outside of Canterlot…**

Rubyshine was getting tired running from these guards, who increased from two to about five in numbers. Rubyshine was too focused on getting away that she didn't realise that she's right about outside the border of Ponyville. She stopped right outside of the gates, and collapsed of exhaustion. She looked up to see the guards moving in. _How do they keep this up? Has my luck run out this time? I guess it's time to see the King._ Suddenly, a bolt of lightnig seared through the air, hitting two of the guards. A wave of ice took care of the other, knocking them off their hooves. Rubyshine got up slowly. Now that these guards aren't chasing her, she could get a better look at them. They're different from before Ironmane took over. Instead of the generic white-coat, blue-maned, golden armor guards that were on-duty when Celestia and Luna ruled, these guards had gray coats, black manes and Obsidian armor. After Rubyshine analysed the guards, she looked around to find whoever saved her. She could'nt see anything until she heard a voice behind her that made her jump from fright. "Hi." Rubyshine turned around to see two pegasi standing behind her. The purple one held out his hoof and introduced himself: "I'm Stardream, and this is Winterhope." Stardream motions over to the blue pegasus, indicating that she must be Winterhope. Rubyshine hesitated but shook Stardream's hoof and said "I'm Rubyshine, and I should probably thank you for saving me back there" Stardream nodded and said "No problem, but we have to talk" Rubyshined was confused. "We?" Stardream nodded with a serious face. "And what place better than Ponyville?" Stardream motioned towards Ponyville, which was a few meter away from the trio. Rubyshine didn't say anything, but she could think a many other places.

**Well, Tell me what you think through review, or PM's. NOTE: A Saint Deserves A Greater Challenge is NOT Discontinued. I'll try to finish it, but no promises.**


	2. Chapter 2: Foreverfree

Chapter 2: Foreverfree

**Saintified4 here. I don't have much to say here, except my exams finish up this week. Enjoy**

As the group walked into Ponyville, they could feel the other ponies watching them with every move they make. Some even rushed back into their homes. Rubyshine felt really uncomfortable, but had to stick with the other two. She could see Winterhope was just as uncomfortable, but Stardream didn't look affected by the unwanted attention. They eventually came by an alley between two houses. Stardream turned around and made sure nopony else was following, then approached the wall and felt over it with his front hoof. "It's gotta be here somewhere" Rubyshine heard him mutter. "Aha" he finally said and pressed on one of the bricks. Suddenly, a part of the floor opened right next to Stardream. "Winterhope, Rubyshine." Winterhope broke away from her guarding stance and followed Stardream and Rubyshine into the open part of the floor. On the way inside was a hallway of wooden stairs leading underground, with dusty walls and bugs crawling every now and then. As they walked down, they eventually came to a large cave with a building in the middle. Stalagmites dotting the roof and a cold breeze blowing. It made Rubyshine shiver, but Winterhope seemed to enjoy it. _Typical. _Rubyshine thought. _I still don't know if I can trust these ponies. _Trust. That made her shiver again. The last time she trusted someone, it didn't end well. Her parents being taken as a result. She had another flashback. She just wished she could get rid of them, but they keep coming back…

_MOMMY! Young Rubyshine yelled. Tears in her eyes. RUBY! Her mother yelled back. As the cart rode away, Rubyshine could feel a hoof in front of her. A unicorn. She knew this unicorn. She didn't know how, but she knew him. There was something particular about this unicorn. His horn. It's very shiny, like it's made of a metal of some type. Iron. Ironmane. Now she knew who this was. His eyes were a brilliant orange, and she could see the evil in it. The kind of evil that could kill with no mercy. Ironmane stepped forward and commanded the wagon to stop. He turned to Rubyshine and said, with a cold, yet soothing voice: "I'm sorry it had to be this way, little filly". She saw his horn glow orange and she began to feel sleepy. She fought. Fought to keep herself up. Fought for her parents on the wagon. She fought, even if it was a lost cause. And then it happened. The explosion. Through the slits of her eyes she made as she was falling under Ironmane's Sooth spell. She could see the burning wagon. The bloody remains of her parents. Ironmane's cape suddenly blocked her view and saw another orange glow before she fell to the ground. Mommy… Daddy…_

Rubyshine finally snapped out her flashback when she heard Stardream yell out her name. "Rubyshine! What's going on?" Rubyshine hesitated "It's… It's nothing. What were we talking about again?" Stardream sighed and motioned her into the makeshift house in the middle of the cave. The interior looked like a normal house. Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom. Rubyshine was amazed. "Did you build this on your own?" Stardream hesitated and Winterhope looked away. "We… probably shouldn't get into detail with that." This raised suspicion within Rubyshine, but she shook it off. She walked to the table as Stardream pulled out a big scroll, big enough to cover a small dining table. "Ever heard of the Foreverfree Prophecy?" Rubyshine shook her head and said "Enlighten me." Stardream pointed to various aspects of the scroll as he explained the prophecy: "The Foreverfree Prophecy depicts the creation of Equestria: Two celestial beings: Sunstar, the Being of Positive Energy, and Moonglyph, the Being of Negative Energy, ultimately combined their power to form a planetary body, which they called Zarzix, which translates from the Ancient Equestrilibrium "Total Creation". From this they created the first clan of Ancient Unicorns…" Stardream looked up in shock. "What is it, Stardream?" Winterhope asked. "I knew it!" He yelled. "Look here. At this one, here on the left." He pointed to one of the Ancient Unicorns with a few scrolls in his magical grasp. Then Rubyshine noticed it. The Unicorn's horn. It's made of iron.

"Ironmane has the rest of the prophecy."

**Cliffhanger! I'm getting better at this. Stay tuned for the next Chapter. Saintified4 out.**


	3. Chapter 3: Vivid Visions

Chapter 3: Vivid Visions

**Exams are over and vacation begins. I'm gonna try to publish these faster and with longer chapters**

As the three Elementals walked out of their hideout, Stardream turned to Rubyshine and said "Remember, the moment we walk out of this cave, We're no longer Stardream and Winterhope. If Ironmane knew our real names, he could cause some serious damage. We work under the aliases Thunderdusk and Skyfreeze. You'll need an alternate name too if you wanna protect your real identity." Rubyshine smiled, bowed and said "Arch Flame, at your service" Thunderdusk smiled and said "Nice. Now let's go."

As they walked out of the alley, up on the rooftops: two ponies, cloaked in darkness, was staring down at them. The cloaks they wear are emitting dark fog, giving them an even more evil look, as if they are emitting shadows. The one on the left turns to the other and says "What do you think Sidon? Is it them the King sent us after?" Sidon turns and says "Not sure, Tyrus. Maybe we should find out." They both jumped down from the rooftops infront of the trio on their way to Canterlot. The group stops and looks at the two ponies staring at them with cold, yellow eyes. Arch Flame instantly notices their pupils are narrow slits, like bats' eyes. The one on the right speaks up "Are you the Elementals?" The left one keeps staring at them. "Maybe" Thunderdusk retorts "Why are you asking?" They begin to smile. "I'll take that as a yes" They leaned backwards so their cloaks fall off of them, revealing bat wings on each one. Their manes and tails were a brilliant black, and it was ripped. Their coats were a crimson colour, with small black dots here and there. They were wearing heavy Equestrian armour, and with visible blades sticking out. The only thing that could tell them apart, was that they both had a strange symbol on their forehead, Each has a different symbol. Then Arch Flame saw it. No cutie mark. These aren't ordinary ponies, that's for sure. They both introduced themselves. "Tyrus and Sidon. Loyal servants and creations of King Ironmane" **"**_Creations"_ thought Arch Flame. _What do they mean by that?_ Tyrus was the first one to attack. He flew up in the air, drew his sword and charged at Arch Flame. The sword pulsed with dark red energy as it drew near. Arch Flame dodged the attack and Tyrus flew right into the ground, sticking the sword deep into the soil. He struggled to free the sword, and Arch Flame saw her chance. She ran up to him, jumped and slammed her hoof into his face. This sent Tyrus and the sword flying back. As Tyrus got up, Arch Flame prepared a spark from her horn, and it turned into a flame. She concentrated her magic and shot a firebolt at Tyrus. It did a small explosion, and Arch Flame hoped to see Tyrus lying on the ground, but instead he's standing, smiling. "But… how?" Arch Flame wondered out loud. She noticed something behind her, but she didn't have time to turn around as she's blasted back. A Shockwave of some kind. As she got up. She saw Sidon's symbol glowing. "You're not the only one with magic" he remarked. "Hey" Thunderdusk said, trying to get the twins' attention. "Think you can get away with something like that?" He looked at Skyfreeze standing next to him, and then to the twins. Tyrus smiled and said "We plan to get away with far more than just that" Both their symbols glowed and summoned energy spheres, which proceeded to fire projectiles at Thunderdusk and Skyfreeze. They both started to flap their wings and took to the air, dodging the projectiles as it felt like they were increasing in both numbers and speed. After Thunderdusk gained a clear shot, he started to build up electricity in his body and concentrated it into his hooves. When it reached the tips of his hooves, he thrusts them out, creating a wave of electricity. Tyrus and Sidon broke the spheres and ran opposite directions to avoid the attack. As Sidon ran, he didn't notice Skyfreeze flying in his direction and unleashing an ice volley. The volley hit him in the side and let him skid across the ground, in pain. As Tyrus turned around to help Sidon, another firebolt hit him, this time knocking him of his hooves and also send him sliding. He got up and yelled to Sidon "Come brother, we must return to the king and inform him of this battle." He started to take to the air, with Sidon following, but Thunderdusk cut them off in mid-air. "Where do you two think you're going?" He started to build up electricity, by Tyrus cut him off by sending a magic shockwave into him. The shockwave knocked him out of the air and let him fall to the ground. Before he could make impact, Skyfreeze flew down and caught him. She put him gently down next to Arch Flame. As they watched the bat-ponies fly off, Thunderdusk got up and started to run the same direction. "Thunderdusk, wait!" Skyfreeze yelled. "Where are you going?" Thunderdusk looked at Skyfreeze as if that was a dumb question. "Those two are on their way to the King. We are too. Come on!" Before Thunderdusk could run any further, he felt a biting sensation on his tail. Arch Flame was trying to stop him. "What are you doing, Arch? Come on!" he said. She let go and tried to change his mind. "If we launch a direct assault on the King now, then we're signing our own death wishes. Slow down there." Thunderdusk looked annoyed that Arch Flame was trying to act the leading part. He started this rebellion, it would only be fitting if he had the ruling say, but, then again, that would make his system a lot like Ironmane's. Thunderdusk sighed, turned to Arch Flame and said "Fine. What do you have in mind?" Arch Flame thought a little before she said "I have a hunch, and it involves the Everfree Forest. You ready for an outing?"

**King Ironmane's castle, Canterlot**

Tyrus and Sidon landed on the porch just outside Ironmane's courtroom. The guards raised their spears and let them through. Inside, Ironmane was sitting on his throne, busy talking with his Advisor, Cruel Sea. Cruel Sea was a dark blue pegasus, with a brown and cyan mane and tail. The feathers on his wings were extremely pointy, comparable to a very fine crafted, sharp sword. Cruel Sea's cutie mark was a shipwreck with a lightning bolt through it. As Tyrus and Sidon approached, Ironmane dismissed Cruel Sea and focused his attention on them. "I expect your mission was successful?" Tyrus and Sidon bowed, and Sidon was the first to speak "Uh… Well, your majesty, we… we found the Elementals, but…" Tyrus finished Sidon's sentence "…they were too strong for us, your Majesty. We couldn't kill them" Ironmane began to get angry. "And you expect me to just keep you around? Give me one good reason why I should still keep you book-ends in my service" Sidon, in fear spoke up hesitantly "We found names, your Majesty. The names of the Elementals." Ironmane began to calm down. "Is that so?" he said. "Yes, I'll need all the information I can get. Fine, I'll give you a second chance, but mess this up again, and I'll prepare the Lion Cage specially just for you two. The minions thanked Ironmane and flew off into the halls. Ironmane called out Cruel Sea "Those two need to think about their failures. Get me the next best pony to finish off this little rebellion." Cruel Sea suggested just the right one for the job. "Shall I contact Neon Mirage?" Ironmane looked up to the stained glass on the ceiling. "Yes…" was all he said.

**The Elemental Rebellion, The Everfree Forest**

Arch Flame and the other two were walking through the forest for hours. It's already past dawn, and the nocturnal creatures are starting to wake up. As they walked, the only sound they could hear was their hooves crushing dead leaves, owls hooting and the occasional howl of a Timberwolf. The deeper they walked the darker it got, and not from the sky, but the trees felt like they were purposely closing in on the group. Skyfreeze looked around and asked "Are you sure about this Arch? I feel like I'm invading someone's privacy." Thunderdusk scoffed "Come on Skyfreeze, who owns the Everfree Forest?" Skyfreeze looked at Thunderdusk and said "Ironmane." Thunderdusk looked annoyed and said "Oh please, with what we're busy now, invading Ironmane's "privacy" is the least of our worries." "Will you two be quiet back there?" Arch Flame said, annoyed "I'm trying to find… well, I need to concentrate, so please…" Thunderdusk and Skyfreeze fell silent and followed Arch Flame. They eventually came to a basin-like formation of the forest, and in the middle was a wooden cabin. It looked abandoned. Thunderdusk and Skyfreeze weren't so sure, but Arch Flame looked excited. "I hope she's still here" Thunderdusk was confused "Whoever 'she' is, I doubt it. That cabin looks pretty abandoned." Arch Flame didn't look concerned and said "She liked this kinda lifestyle. I don't know why, but it made her feel comfortable." Arch Flame stepped forward, knocked on the door and called a name "Mirae? Mirae are you there?" No answer. Arch Flame began to worry. The door wasn't locked, so she could easily open it. Inside looked even worse. "I''d prefer our base in the cave over this place anytime" Thunderdusk remarked. Arch Flame looked around and said "Look around for anything suspicious. Mirae practiced with the arcane arts, so she's bound to have something unusual lying around here. The ponies searched everywhere. From in the grass on the roof to under the floorboards. Nothing. For half an hour, no one came up with anything. Thunderdusk was just about to give up when Skyfreeze called out to them. "Hey guys, I think I found something." Arch Flame and Thunderdusk rushed to Skyfreeze, who was holding a dark green orb, the size of a soccer ball. Skyfreeze held the orb out to Arch Flame who took it in her magical grasp. "What is it?" Skyfreeze asked. "I don't know. It looks like some kind of…" Suddenly the orb lit up, giving off a bright light. It was so sudden that Arch Flame lost her concentration and let go of the orb, letting it fall to the ground. The light on the orb refocused on the top, and a hologram appeared. The hologram was a pony dressed in a cloak. "Mirae?" Arch Flame asked, not sure if this was a recording or a live broadcast. "Rubyshine" The hologram spoke up "If you're watching this, please forgive me. I had to leave. His forces ambushed me. I had to clear up the cabin and hope you find this. I can't give you too much information in case somepony else got their hooves on this, that's why I'm asking you to forgive me" The hologram gave a short wave of static, indicating that it isn't functioning with full power and might be damaged. The hologram continued: "I knew Ironmane back in the early days. I don't know what changed. I just don't know. He changed. The power, it must have corrupted his thoughts. I was too late. The next thing I knew, he was fighting against the council, fighting to get the Ambassador to surrender. HE wanted to rule. I guess he got that in the end" The hologram gave a longer wave of static "My point is, there IS a way to stop him. He found Dark Magic. That must have been the reason. I just don't know where he got it. You, YOU, must learn the counter-spell. The Counterspell of the Paladin. It's the only way to (static) dark magic. Please (static) …our only hope. Oh no. I think they found me. (static) …me luck, Rubyshine _*struggle* *gasp*_ you'll never take me alive! Do you hear me?! (static)" This time the static remained. Either the recording was over, or the orb lost power. Either way, Arch Flame knew that the situation only just got worse. "Come on, I think I know where the recording was made." Arch Flame said to Thunderdusk and Skyfreeze. As they exited the cabin, they heard an unfamiliar voice: "Going somewhere?". Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the shadows. A unicorn. She had a white coat, and muti-coloured mane and tail, but Arch Flame got some bad vibes from her. Her cutie mark was a spiral, but what was weird about her, was the fact that her entire body kept changing colour. It's like she was a living aurora. Arch Flame was stunned. "Who the hay are you?" Thunderdusk asked. The pony looked unamused as she introduced herself. "They call me Neon Mirage. I am the embodiment of pure illusion. I have been sent to make you three's existences into an illusion. As slowly and painfully as possible. And the closer you look, the less you see…"

**Well, I'd say that worked out well enough. Stay tuned for Chapter 4: Now you see me.**


	4. Chapter 4: Skyfreeze vs Neon Mirage

Chapter 4: Skyfreeze vs Neon Mirage

**Bringing these out more often because why not? Reviews and PM's welcome.**

Neon Mirage's voice echoed like a siren's song through the forest as she spoke up "And the closer you look, the less you see". Thunderdusk was first to charge, but Neon Mirage's horn started to glow and she teleported away. As Thunderdusk looked around to where Neon Mirage could be, she teleported above him, summoned a spectral spear and charged downwards, missing Thunderdusk by a few centimetres as he rolled out of the way. He started to charge his lighting, but Neon Mirage intercepted by charging her magic and blasting it at Thunderdusk. It hit him in the chest and sent him skidding backwards. Arch Flame stepped forward and shot a firebolt at Neon Mirage, making contact and exploding, forming smoke everywhere. Arch Flame smiled proudly, but was interrupted by Neon Mirage's laugh. The smoke started changing colour and forming into spears. Neon Mirage stood in the centre, smiling. "Big mistake, filly" she said, threw her head forward making the spears fly at an incredible speed towards Arch Flame. She felt something hitting her from the side as she saw the smoke spears pass. Skyfreeze helped her. For just a few seconds, Arch Flame felt something weird. She was thankful, yes, but that wasn't quite it. As they both got up to help Thunderdusk, Neon Mirage started to charge up her magic. As the trio got up to face her again, a sudden burst of her magic flooded the forest with her aura. The brightness blinded the other, and as Skyfreeze tried to get a view of Neon Mirage, she saw the pony running deeper into the forest. Skyfreeze saw her chance and went after Neon Mirage. She didn't even hear Arch Flame and Thunderdusk call out her name.

Skyfreeze ran until she came into an opening similar to the one with Mirae's cabin, but with darker grass and more trees. She looked around to see if she can spot Neon Mirage and finished her. I wasn't until Neon Mirage appeared with spectral Timberwolves that she realised that the other two didn't follow her. She was all alone, facing against a powerful enemy. Neon Mirage spoke, which made Skyfreeze woozy, but she kept her balance. "Why?" Skyfreeze was confused. "Why waste your time with those other two? The King can use somepony like you." Skyfreeze felt disgusted "I will never give over to the King!" "Why? Because _they_ said so? Because if you don't work with them you'll be lost? Even dead?" Neon Mirage was very persuasive. "Come now, Skyfreeze. You know better. Why work against the inevitable? Think of the power he could grant you. Even a title: Commander Skyfreeze. It has a nice ring to it." Skyfreeze was thinking now. _It DOES sound… promising… no. NO. _"NO!" Skyfreeze yelled out in anger. She flew up and started to generate ice spikes, which she threw at the spectral Timberwolves, one by one dissipating. Neon Mirage looked at Skyfreeze without emotion and sighed "Well, I tried, but you left me with no choice. The King would've made good use of you." Skyfreeze's anger just built up. "I am not to be used!" She charged at Neon Mirage while forming an ice sword. She jumped up and impaled Neon Mirage in the chest. Blood was flowing, but Neon Mirage stayed emotionless. She started to laugh, and Skyfreeze became confused. "Did you really think that THIS would stop me?" Neon Mirage started to fade. Skyfreeze tried to lodge the sword deeper, but she couldn't feel anything. Neon Mirage appeared behind her and started to slash her with a spectral sword. Skyfreeze fought back with her ice sword, but Neon Mirage was too strong and overwhelmed Skyfreeze. As she lay on the ground, with her sword still in grip, and Neon Mirage on top of her. "You cannot win, Skyfreeze." She said "Ironmane shall reign." "You're just a mercenary Neon Mirage" Skyfreeze retorted. "You don't care about making a point. You don't care about showing other people your power of Illusion. You're just another grunt that wants to get paid." Skyfreeze could see something changed in Neon Mirage's face. Emotion. Anger. Hatred. The desire to finish Skyfreeze. Neon Mirage didn't say anything. She lifted her spectral sword and adjusted it that the sharp end is aiming at Skyfreeze's throat. Skyfreeze saw her chance and flew up, breaking contact with Neon Mirage. She kept on flying until she could see most of Equestria. Then she flew down. The faster she flew, the colder it got. She came close enough to the ground to be able to see Neon Mirage. She sped up, and hit Neon Mirage with her front hooves as she collided with the ground. The resulting explosion was louder than she thought. When she got up, a little bruised, she saw her surroundings had ice and snow everywhere, but no sign of Neon Mirage anywhere. She ran back the way she came from, to the cabin. When she got there, there was no sign of Arch Flame or Thunderdusk anywhere

_We should never have split up like that_ was the last thing that came to her mind before she saw a flash of purple and ran towards it.

**Reviews and PM's welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5: Thunderdusk vs Neon Mirage

Chapter 5: Thunderdusk vs Neon Mirage

**Yes I can count to 5, seeing as this is my first fic to go beyond Chapter 4 xD**

It took Thunderdusk's eyes awhile to adjust to the jumping and floating colours that flooded the forest. His hearing also deafened as he didn't hear the other two yelling his name

Or, at least he sensed Arch Flame…

He flew deeper into the forest, following what seemed like Neon Mirage. The colours quickly faded and he could hear the wind pass by his ears as he chased Neon Mirage. Eventually he came to a large basin-like formation, with Neon Mirage standing in the middle. He grit his teeth as he neared her. "Why so angry?" She asked, devoid of any emotion. "Here I am, Thunderdusk. All weak and defenseless. This is your chance to prove that you are the true leader of this pathetic Resistance. Kill me, and I'm sure the other two might see you in another light." Thunderdusk scowled "I'm not falling for your tricks, Mirage. I'm only killing you because you're working for Ironmane." "Working?" She asked. "This is plain finishing the job. However, I do support Ironmane's cause. Without any resistance I benefit personally." "So you're doing this for money?" Thunderdusk asked, disgust in his voice. "Neon Mirage gave a nod, and Spectral Timberwolves began dotting the landscape. They neared Thunderdusk and he charged up his body. He shot his wings outward, creating a wave of lightning that struck the Timberwolves on either side of him. He bucked backwards, connecting with the Timberwolf behind him, releasing a bolt that chained to the rest of the Timberwolves. When all of them were gone, he focused his attention on Neon Mirage. He ran up to her and tried to punch her, but she teleported behind him and shot him with a beam of magic. He shot forward and skidded on the ground. Neon Mirage walked towards him with a sword ready. He tried to get up, and she swung at him. The sword missed his throat and instead sliced his cheek. Thunderdusk reared. Blood was trickling from his wound. He charged up again, and slammed his front hooves on the ground, creating an electric shockwave. This caught Neon Mirage off-guard. She felt energy crackle inside her. The smell of ozone was filling the air. Thunderdusk seized the opportunity and lunged at Neon Mirage. He collided with her and they both stumbled on the ground. Neon Mirage threw him off of her, and stood. Throughout the battle she was still showing no emotion, but Thunderdusk knew that inside, she was brimming with anger. Her voice, though, was still as smooth as her face when she spoke. "You are a formidable opponent, Thunderdusk. Tell me, how did you become so… powerful?" He looked at her and motioned to his chest. "It's all natural. It makes it sound better when I defeat you." She nodded slightly. "Powerful, but arrogant and competitive. I once met a pony like you. The look on her face when her spectrum was nothing compared to mine. It was beautiful, really. It didn't last long though. Before she knew it she was hauled back to Ironmane's dungeon. You think you could handle the same kind of defeat?" Thunderdusk grinned. "I'm willing to take my chances." Neon Mirage sighed "If you insist." She teleported, but Thunderdusk anticipated her move and bucked. It caught Neon Mirage in the chest and she staggered back. Before she could make another move, he charged up his hooves and punched her, his hoof connecting with her cheek. Her head jerked sideways and she swung at him, but he ducked and retaliated with an uppercut. She reared, charged up her horn and started to fill the environment with an aurora. She faded in the colours. Thunderdusk started to feel dizzy, and his vision dazed. He blacked out a moment later.

Breathing… that was all he concentrated on. Thunderdusk took another deep breath. He had the most experience out of the rebellion. He started to feel more sensation…

He knew he was awake. Neon Mirage was standing over him, sword raised. He rolled out of the way before her weapon could connect with him. He got up, but the dizziness took over again. He straightened up and dodged more swings from Neon Mirage's sword. He sent a few waves of lightning out to her. The first missed her completely, the second came close. The third one made her yelp in pain. Thunderdusk could see her muscles bulge and spasm. She dropped into a kneeling position, and Thunderdusk opened his wings. He flew high up in the air, and in the corner of his eye, he could see a streak of white in the air with him. When he was high enough, he drew in the clouds, turning them into purple energy that flowed into him. He started diving, still letting the energy crackle around his body. He watched as the white streak dived with him. Neon Mirage was starting to stand up. When she looked up, Thunderdusk was already crashing into her. The moment they connected, huge loads of energy shot outward. It filled the entire area, and the sound was louder than he expected it to be. He laid in a crater, muscles spasming because of the electricity. Slowly, he got and started to fly until he landed on top of the edge of the crater. There were scorch marks everywhere, and no sign of Neon Mirage…

The path back to the cottage was blurry. Using that amount of power, and in such a short time… It takes a toll on you. Thunderdusk neared the cottage and immediately flared with anger. _She split us up in an attempt to kill us off one by one._ He was still in thought when he noticed Skyfreeze run to the opposite direction where she came from. He called out to her, but she didn't seem to hear him. He ran until he was right next to her. She noticed him then, but didn't say anything. Thunderdusk knew this was Skyfreeze's way of showing anger. She must've had the same kind of thoughts about Neon Mirage. Angry thoughts. They kept running until they came to another basin like structure suspiciously similar to the ones Skyfreeze and Thunderdusk fought Neon Mirage in. Or was it really Neon Mirage they were fighting.

They came to the opening just in time to see Arch Flame kneel before Neon Mirage spectral sword in her magical grasp. Arch Flame was looking down at the ground, and blood started to pour from her mouth.

**That ending surprised even me. I just type like I feel, and I'm normally satisfied with wat comes out here. Don't worry, I won't turn this into a creepypasta or anything.**


	6. Chapter 6: Autlander

Chapter 6: Autlander

He took the map out one more time to navigate through Manehattan. The ponies passing him threw sneers and saw him as just another tourist. _Thank Celestia for that,_ he thought. The rain was pelting him, but he didn't seem to mind. He got a little cover now and then from a few umbrellas passing him held by ponies in a hurry. Even here, in his bustling city he knew that, regardless what they saw the outside, they knew him as an outlander. Outlander. That was practically his name. Or it sounded like it anyways. Severin Autlander came to a big yellow-orange building. He estimated 5-6 stories at the least. There were clear windows on each storey. Most of the rooms inside looked like business offices. He looked at the parchment with the address on. He looked round and found the building's address. _It's the right address alright, but not very subtle. This place practically screams "Headquarters". _He entered the glass door. The pony at the reception was a purple mare with a light blue mane and tail. Her eyes were a golden shade and she was an Earth Pony. Autlander walked up to her. When she looked up, she immediately frowned. "Are you here to see someone?" she asked, slight irritation in her voice. Autlander hesitated, then uttered the word _they _told him to utter:

_Yirak_

The moment he said that, he felt a glow inside him. It wasn't a warm, comforting glow, it was a cold, sinister glow. He noticed the reception pony suddenly stiffening. Her golden eyes suddenly turned grey, as if she lost all of her energy. She opened her mouth to let out a cry of pain and horror, but only a sight breath came out. She closed her eyes, and lowered her head. For a full minute she stood there. Eventually she opened her empty eyes and spoke to Autlander. "4th floor. Room 408. Dr. Kithra will see you then." She said, devoid of any emotion. Autlander slowly walked t the elevator where he pressed the button to go up. He glanced at the reception pony to see her just… standing there. He entered the elevator and pressed the button with the "4" on it. The elevator lifted him up for a minute, estimated. When the doors opened, he was facing a corridor with doors at either side of the wall every 25 metres or so. Autlander estimated about 5 rooms on one side of the wall. Which would mean ten rooms in total. All the room numbers ending with an even number were on the right side. Autlander started walking down the corridor and came to Room 408. He hesitated, then knocked on the door. A gruff, but warm sounding voice drifted through the door. "Come in." it sounded. Autlander pushed the door further open, and saw the pony sitting at his desk. It was a moderate sized room, with beige paint covering the walls. The windows were closed with the blinds covering them. The desk was made of wood with a hint of old age, as there were dark spots here and there on the top. The pony sitting behind the desk… this was the important bit of Autlander's little visit. It was a dark green pony with a navy blue mane and tail. His cutie mark was a scroll with a symbol of a sword carved in. His eyes were the same golden shade as the reception pony. Autlander shuddered at the thought of what he did to her. The pony behind the desk motioned him to enter the room, and as he did, he felt a wave of weakness. Gathering his strength, he sat down in the chair and the pony did the same in the chair on the other side. There was a long silence before the pony spoke up: "Forgive the sudden dizziness, it's to bind any sort of magic that isn't my own, for security reasons, of course. I am Doctor Kithra, Director of the Manehattan Weather council, Acclaimed author and Teacher of Sigil magic. And you are..?" Autlander searched for the strength to speak.

"Severin Autlander" he said, almost murmuring.

"The one who's family you ordered a hit on"

Kithra could hear the anger flashing in Autlander's voice, now recovering from the draining effects of his security system. He sat back in his chair and chuckled slightly, ignoring Autlander's glare.

"No, no, no, Severin, you got it all wrong. That accusation should be pointed at Ironmane. But tell me more about this little traumatic event you experienced. I like taking pleasure out of others' misfortune, because that's mostly my job here." Autlander closed his eyes, and reluctantly tried to remember the day he lost his wife and child.

_The wet season was turning. Here and there, more clouds were grouping together. The pegasi were working hard to make sure every corner of Equestria gets a little rain before the heat and dryness start to overwhelm it. Beneath the sky, three ponies were sitting on the porch of their abode. Severin's wife, Fairystar, was busy cleaning the house from outside, while Severin was keeping his daughter, Amethyst, entertained. It was nearing dawn and the orange sky gleamed and lit the area for the day's final moments…_

_And for his…_

_The explosion was so sudden he couldn't register what happened, but his wife yelling his name brought him to his senses. The agents invading his house were almost identical. Both had black cloaks and crimson coats. The only thing telling them apart was the different symbols on their foreheads. One flashed a smile with _very_ sharp teeth. Before he could fight back, they were gone_

_And so were his family. The only thing keeping him going in this dark time. The only ponies that mattered in his life_

Kithra nodded slowly as Autlander finished the last part of the story. He spoke, making it clear he was thinking too. "These… agents. You described them with a symbol on the forehead each?" Autlander nodded. "Can you describe it?" Autlander sighed, tried to remember, but failed. "No" he said eventually "I was too busy trying to defend my family to notice whatever those two agents had on their foreheads".

Kithra looked at Autlander before saying something that set Autlander off.

"_You didn't do a very good job then, did you?"_

Autlander lunged, but Kithra dodged to one side and punched Autlander in the side, making him fall to the wall. Autlander got up slowly and glared at Kithra with fury burning in his eyes. "It would be a wise action for you, Autlander, to not do that again." Kithra said, his own anger flaring his voice. Autlander calmed, but didn't show it. "What happened at the reception desk?" he asked. Kithra shrugged. "You were there, Severin. You tell me." Autlander thought about this situation. "I uttered a… a single word. And that pony just… she looked like she was in extreme pain. Why is that?" Kithra smiled. "You uttered a Sigil Phrase. Thanks to me, the reception pony will suffer no more than a headache. You would be wise to only utter that in the presence of your enemies, but I'm afraid if you tried that on someone like me, you'd end up losing more than you bargained. Now, the word you uttered was part of the Rout Sigil. In a certain radius, every living being would experience pain to an extreme level. There are two types of Sigils: Sigil Phrases and Sigil Marks. Sigil Phrases are activated by the right frequency and words. Every Sigil Phrase has two words that have to be uttered for full effect, but you only know one. In this case, you only inflicted half of what truly could've happened to that reception pony." Autlander paled at the thought. Kithra went on with his lesson in Sigil magic, and Autlander took a seat.

"Sigil Marks are like this." Kithra showed Autlander a piece of paper with a symbol scribbled on in black ink. "They don't need words to be activated. Instead, you just need to touch them. Concentrate though. Do it wrong and you might blow yourself to bloody pieces." Autander took this information in. He'd been sitting here for half an hour now. Kithra was, at the most, a great teacher. He wasn't very sympathetic and, obviously a misanthrope, but a great teacher nonetheless. Kithra's office had a lot of Sigil Marks, and from what Autlander could piece together, it was to bind any magic that could be used against him.

_Could it be bypassed though? Is there a failsafe switch that could be turned on to nullify the binding effects?_

Kithra seemed to read Autlander's mind. Heck, he probably, really was. "There are two more… "Branches" of Sigil magic." Kithra explained. "Offensive and Defensive. It should be obvious to you that my binding Sigils are Defensive. Both the Phrases and Marks apply to those Branches." Autlander narrowed his eyes. "Thanks for the lesson, _Doctor, _but I didn't come here for that, now did I? Do you know why I'm here?" Kithra sat back. "Surprise me" was all he answered. "I lost my famly to a tyrannical king, Doctor." Autlander kept his gaze. "It would only be logical, and that should've occurred to you, that I'd like to get them back." Kithra sat forward now. "What are you sugges-" He paled, but remembered he had a reputation to keep, so he decided it was his turn to narrow his eyes. "If you want to go on a suicide mission," Kithra sneered "don't let me stop you. But I am NOT contributing to defiance to the King. I may not work for him, just to clear those thoughts out of your head, but I do know not to scratch where it's not itching." Kithra stared for a moment, then slid a file over the table to Autlander. He opened it, and inside was a map, a photo of a grey pony with a red mane and a scar over his right eye. Next to it was a slip of three names with the bottom one circled in red ink, but was probably done in a hurry.

_Kronoger_

_Zeiler_

_Mandagaran_

"Follow these instructions and talk to these ponies in that order if you want to make a stand against the King." Kithra instructed Autlander. Autlander got up and glanced at Kithra one final time. "You seem like a pretty powerful pony. Why won't you help me against Ironmane?" Autlander asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. Kithra lifted his mane slightly, revealing a smoking triangle shaped scar. "I was more powerful than I am now. This scar was inflicted on me back in the last Civil War. Simply being a mile in the King's presence inflicts serious pain on me. Ironmane saw me as a big threat, so he did it while I was sleeping, and at the same time, raid our camp. I can't help you, not physically, but in all honesty, I just want you out of my sight." Autlander sighed, and walked through the door. Immediately, he felt his strength returning

"Oh, and don't use that Rout sigil too often, unless you want to take an early dirtnap. You're still a novice with this Sigil business."

Autlander rolled his eyes and kept walking to the elevator.

A fire beam whizzed past Thunderdusk, as he used his energy to form a shield against the increasing heat. Skyfreeze was trying to dodge the spectral spears thrown at her. She never thought she would fight an ally so soon on this adventure she wasn't too contempt on having. Arch Flame had a crazed look in her eye, but at the same time, swirling colours. Of course. Lure them in a trap to get to Arch Flame and hypnotise her. Get in her mind

_But why only Arch Flame?_

Thunderdusk ducked under another fire beam and threw another energy dagger. It barely missed Arch Flame as her fire engulfed her entire body. She smiled and her fire grew even more intense. The grass beneath her hooves were charred, and the occasional crackle of the flames made Thunderdusk twitch. He ran to her, but kept his distance of the fire. His wings flapped and he took off into the sky. Arch Flame's horn glowed, and a wave of fire sent Thunderdusk flailing to the ground.

Overhead, Skyfreeze was having a hard time keeping up with Neon Mirage's attacks. The spectral spears and daggers were flying at an alarming rate. Skyfreeze summoned a wave of ice, and a few of the spectral ammunition lodged in the shield. A multi-coloured beam hit the shield, shattering it and Skyfreeze stumbled back. She regained her balance and ran to Neon Mirage, slamming an ice-augmented hoof into Neon Mirage's side. Neon Mirage grunted and teleported behind Skyfreee, slashing a dagger at her face as she turned. Skyfreeze stumbled back, and the warm trickle of blood ran down her left cheek. Neon Mirage closed in, and Skyfreeze backed away slowly. "How do I undo the spell?" Skyfreeze asked. Neon Mirage just looked at her. "My command, and my command only." She stated. Skyfreeze stood up, and Neon Mirage slashed her front right hoof. Skyfreeze yelled in pain, and fell down again. Neon Mirage slashed again, hitting Skyfreeze's right cheek. Skyfreeze summoned an ice wave, but Neon Mirage dodged and slashed her shoulder. Blood was running everywhere now. Weakened, Skyfreeze mumbled and fell down.

"Skyfreeze!" Thunderdusk yelled. He looked back at Arch Flame who was closing in. He charged up his entire body and released a shockwave, knocking Arch Flame back, but not stunning her. Thunderdusk charged his hooves and released a bolt of electricity that hit Arch Flame square in the chest. Arch Flame was kneeling now, trying to recover. She would surely kill Thunderdusk if she got the chance, under Neon Mirage's command, of course. Thunderdusk saw his gap and ran to Skyfreeze's aid, only to be struck down by a barrage of spectral daggers. They stuck in his shoulders, his sides, his chest, leaking blood as they go. They started spinning, drilling in his flesh, and slowly killing him. He kneeled, coughing blood. This was it. They never even got close to stopping the King, and here they were. The world started to darken, and the dying light shone for him. It cast a warming glow, inviting him to the afterlife…

And then the daggers vanished, along with the pain. Was this the afterlife? Thunderdusk expected it to be clouds and golden gates, not Arch Flame launching fire at Neon Mirage.

"Wait, what?"

Arch Flame threw another punch and Neon Mirage flew backwards, hitting a tree. The tree creaked as it started to break, and Arch Flame burned the tree trunk, trapping Neon Mirage under the mass of leaves, bark and twigs. The pile burst and Neon Mirage shot a beam of magic at Arch Flame but she dodged it and retaliated with another wave of fire. Neon Mirage started to cripple, and tendrils of swirling colours enveloped her. Before she could disappear, Arch Flame shot another beam of fire, hitting Neon Mirage right between the eyes. Half-faded, she dropped dead on the ground. Arch Flame turned and ran to Thunderdusk. The smell of blood lingered on him, but still she helped him up. Together they ran to Skyfreeze, and slowly she rose, albeit weak. Arch Flame backed away, remembering what happened, remembering how Neon Mirage invaded her mind, making her do things she never thought she'd dare do. But to her surprise, Skyfreeze ran to hug her, and Thunderdusk joined in. "I'm sorry…" Arch Flame said before Skyfreeze interrupted her. "You don't need to apologize, Arch Flame" Skyfreeze said "It was Neon Mirage's fault. She made you attack us. You would never attack us on purpose." Arch Flame smiled, and tried to saviour the hug. High in the sky, a bug-like device, the size of a fly, hovered in the air. The lens focused on the trio celebrating the defeat of Neon Mirage. Back at the castle, in the highest tower of Canterlot, Ironmane stood in front of a large screen. Another pony stood next to him, looking at the same screen. Smaller screens surrounded the bigger screen. The pony next to Ironmane was a dark green Pegasus with a crimson mane. His cutie mark was two cyan triangles in a mirroring image, forming a diamond shape. He looked at Ironmane and spoke like he was delivering information. "Magichip's spy drones are still in Beta stage, but this seems to be excellent quality. Those Elementals won't know that you're following their every move." Ironmane gave a slight smile. "Another rebellion doomed to death. But I must admire that they came further than any other. Nevertheless, they will fall."

When Autlander came to his former home, flashbacks filled his head so fast that he felt slightly dizzy. He walked into the empty building to his and his wife's room. The mirror was slightly cracked, but he coul see himself clearly. The black shade that formed his coat has slight brown, muddy spots. His white mane and red highlights were frizzled. He took off his red lined glasses and cleaned them. On the end table stood a book. The title was engraved in golden letters: _Worthiness of a Corrupted King. _And a name hewould never forget.

_Prophetic Myth_


End file.
